Lisbon, Sep. 13 (Lusa) – A proposed new deal for employees of Portugal’s national airline, TAP, is better for cabin crew, as it foresees "more days off and better parenting conditions", the company’s CEO told deputies.
Speaking at a parliamentary hearing, Antonoaldo Neves noted that the company had not yet managed to reach agreement with one of the 15 trade unions representing TAP workers, namely the SNPVAC, which represents cabin crew.
In answer to deputies’ questions, Neves said that that the company's proposal is "much better for cabin crew [with] better parenting conditions and more days off", adding that the company had decided to improve the conditions because of “huge absenteeism” under the previous rule.
The TAP boss's comments came on a day when plans for a strike at Ryanair was announced by the SNPVAC and unions in four other European countries, on the issue of local law being applied to employees based in different countries.
In November 2017 the SNPVAC had, in an open letter to the prime minister, António Costa, questioned the terms of TAP's proposed new agreement, citing the alleged disregard of labour protections agreed by the company’s previous management in December 2014. In the document, the union asked whether the government accepted that, contrary to the terms of Portugal’s constitution and labour code, "discrimination between workers [as a] result of political or ideological convictions”.
A few days earlier, TAP's then chief executive, Fernando Pinto, had written to cabin crew stating that the company agreement in place could not be maintained as it was, because "many of its rules do not fit reality" while "others are misused by some to the detriment of all."
Neves also revealed to deputies that TAP expected to receive its own flight simulator for pilot training at the end of this year. At present it has to use outside equipment, and so has to charge would-be TAP pilots €30,000 to train with the company.
The CEO said that he had the "dream of creating a major training centre" for pilots, not only for TAP but for "the whole world" in Lisbon.
He noted that the airline was still short of pilots; it recently announced plans to hire another 300.